Centre-left’s Low-key Primary Debate

After months of skirmishing, the moment of truth has arrived for the Centre-left. Announced by a mildly controversial poster that portrayed the contenders as the Fantastic Five, the debate in the unusual venue of Milan’s Teatro della Luna saw the big three – Renzi, Bersani and Vendola – and outsiders Laura Puppato and Bruno Tabacci cross swords in the run-up to 25 November’s vote. By and large, the exchange was calm and civilised, with only the occasional spark flying between Vendola and Renzi as Bersani positioned himself in the middle, making repeated appeals for unity.

X-FACTOR STYLE – The presentation followed the X-Factor pattern, with an off-screen announcer and potted bios of the contenders. The five were seated on a podium-like structure, from where they were invited to make their proposals. Bruno Tabacci was first to speak on taxes, IMU and evasion (he focused particularly on the fight against tax evasion). Renzi promised that he would not “raise taxes” and Vendola pointed out that the tax levy far from progressive, pointing to Hollande’s approach (“75% on incomes over a million euros”). Bersani returned to the evasion issue. Renzi hammered the Equitalia collection agency (“strong with the weak, weak with the strong”) and chided Vendola (“there aren’t many with more than a million euros”). These were the first – and only – mini-clashes, involving the mayor of Florence and Puglia’s regional chair Vendola, a quarter of an hour into the programme.

EUROPE, EUROPE – The debate moved on to Europe, or rather the “United States of Europe”, as Renzi repeatedly called it, to bursts of applause. Vendola quoted Altiero Spinelli, the founding father of Europe. Then there were more sparks over the issue of the stability pact – “To review it is to harm Italy”, said Renzi; “You can’t throttle the country to comply”, replied Vendola. Bersani donned the mantle of peacemaker, comfortable in the role as the other two swapped thrusts: “Let’s not fight. Let’s agree. Let’s renegotiate the relationship with Europe. Germany has to understand that we’re all on the same train”. Finally half an hour into the debate, the dread spectre of Beppe Grillo was raised. “He wants to go back to the lire”, Bruno Tabacci scolded.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT – The next item on the agenda was youth employment, which prompted vivid imagery. Vendola was in his element, referring to mud, both metaphorical and actual, short-term jobs and the achievements of Puglia (“we invented work”). In contrast, Bersani adopted his well-worn informality (“Hang on a minute, laddie, and we’ll put up your education costs”). Tabacci distanced himself from the Left’s past “internationalism”. Puppato first complained that the moderator was ignoring her and then stressed the importance of innovation and research to drive employment. Finally, Renzi touched Kennedy-type chords promising he wouldn’t call young people “bamboccioni” [stay-at-homes] because “this should be a country where you can get ahead if you know something, not someone”.

EVERYONE ATTACKS FORNERO (AND MARCHIONNE) – It was then time to discuss minister Fornero’s labour reform, voted by almost everyone but liked, apparently, by no one. Puppato called it “a profound injustice”, Renzi said “I sincerely dislike it” and Vendola regarded it as “offensive” while Bersani and Tabacci were not asked for an opinion. The next whipping boy was Sergio Marchionne. Tabacci: “[Marchionne] can’t just leave”; Puppato: “Avoid muscle-flexing”; Renzi: “I believed in you and you let me down” (he also said “come to Florence”, which Sergio Marchionne has called a small provincial town). Renzi then appeared to set up Vendola: “My dear Marchionne, I’ve never believed you. The decisions of the courts should be respected”. As he had all evening, Bersani sidestepped clashes with the others but did square up to the Fiat CEO: “Marchionne, I’m not a man you can tell anything you like to”. The debate then moved on to rights and adoptions. Renzi talked about the latter in general terms but Vendola was more specific: “Yes to adoptions for homosexual couples”. “Let’s think about it”, said Bersani. Tabacci, who comes from the Christian Democrats, proclaimed his secular status while drawing a distinction between heterosexual and homosexual couples.

THE PROVINCIAL REFORM SHAMBLES – A short break and the debate resumed with Italy’s privileged political “Caste”. All the candidates objected to the Monti government’s abolition of provincial authorities, the recurring term being “a shambles”. Renzi said the real problem was the “pension for parliamentarians”. Vendola called for the imposition of “maximum transparency” (but not for abolishing the funding “otherwise politics becomes something for the rich”). Bersani agreed on this point, pointing out that the Democratic Party (PD) had “voted to halve pensions but the Right threw it out”. Tabacci opined that the cost of politics was “unsupportable” while Puppato said that “we have to change ourselves to change the country”. For the first time, Renzi asked for a right of reply. To whom, obviously? Vendola said “Public funding must go because its existence hasn’t stopped the rich from engaging in politics”, a clear reference to Silvio Berlusconi. A minor altercation followed as Bersani and Tabacci invited Renzi not to be a “demagogue” because “you can’t do away with the parties”.

QUESTION TIME – That brought us to question time, the American-style session in which audience supporters of one candidate quiz the other contenders. “My dear Mr Vendola”, began one woman, amusing the candidates with her formal tone, “which of the other four would you vote for?” Vendola did not reply. Another questioner asked Bersani for his view on privatisation. A young Ventola supporter on a short-term employment contract asked Renzi for a take on nuclear energy, apparently supported by Giuliano da Empoli, who helped draft his manifesto. Renzi replied: “My position is that we will not open any nuclear power stations in Italy”. A Renzi supporter asked Laura Puppato what she would do if she failed to win the primaries. A Bersani supporter asked Tabacci if moderates would vote for the Centre-left.

IF I AM ELECTED – What would the candidates’ government be like? Each had his or her own recipe. Vendola: “It will be half women”. Bersani: “It will be open to dialogue with other forces”. Tabacci: “It will be an executive with Monti as president of Italy”. Puppato: “First of all, we have to see what electoral law is in place”. And Renzi: “It will be without Casini and have ten ministers”. This prompted the first genuinely strategic statement of the evening. Centrist Bruno Tabacci intervened on the issue, albeit not directly: “It’s not possible to have only ten ministers. You need at least eighteen” (Puppato agreed). The exchange continued as Renzi told Tabacci: “You’re thinking in terms of the old politics. That way, Grillo will win”. Vendola warned everyone to “watch out for populism but also for free marketeering”. And Bersani once again put on his peacemaker’s hat: “Let’s not shut ourselves away. Let’s not be sectarian”.

FINALE – As the end neared, the presenter asked the candidates who their heroes were. Former communists Bersani and Vendola plumped for two men of the Church (Pope John XXIII and Cardinal Martini), Tabacci went back to his roots (De Gasperi and Marcora) and Puppato stayed true to her gender (Nilde Iotti and Tina Anselmi) while Renzi played the international card (Nelson Mandela and the Tunisian blogger Amina). Then came the calls to vote. First up were the two outsiders as Tabacci identified with the Centre-left while Puppato pointed to Gandhi and her own work in regional government. First of the big three to speak was Renzi, who considered himself, like singer Jovanotti, to be lucky, praised the civilised spirit of the primaries and said he hoped his children would be able one day to say “politics is nice”. Vendola waxed lyrical again, repeating the mantra “I think” with “mud and corruption”, “feminicides and Berlusconism” and “I want a Left that reclaims a language for a better Italy”. Last to pitch was Bersani, who also praised the spirit of the primaries. “Rage and indignation” were not enough; a “government of change” was needed. Above all, “language has to change. The time of illusion is over. We can climb out of this together”. The final scene belonged to Milan’s mayor Pisapia, who came in carrying an envelope. No one was being eliminated. It was just an invitation to come to Milan after the primaries. All very low key. As low key as the debate.